Synthetic bone char and method of producing same



I Patented 13,

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. GHQRLES B. DAVIS, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.

Ho Drawing. Application filed Kay 12,

My invention is the result of experimental investigation undertaken to effect the production, by synthesis, of a practical and economic substitute for the bone char, so called, heretofore used in the refining of sugar, and for analogous purposes and processes of decolorization generally.

As is well known in the art, in the ordinary process of refining sugar the impure syrup adhering to the crystals is removed by mixing the raw sugar with water,.or 'a low grade run of syrup, and then spinning the resulting magma in a centrifugal machine, by which procedure the raw sugar is separated into washed sugar which remains in the centrifugal, and the wash liquor which is eliminated therefrom. This wash liquor is then usually reduced to a granular mass by boiling under vacuum, which granular mass is again subjected to centrifugal action resulting in a low grade remelt-or brown sugar, and also in a syrup known as black-strap, and containing all the impurities of the raw product, such as albumins, gums, pectin, polyphenols, phenolcarboxylic acids, catechol, oxidases, chlorophyll, cane "wax, fat, essential oils, resins, bacteria,

yeasts, moulds, mineral salts, etc.

A featureof my invention is the utilization of this impure syrup containing the above mentioned-impurities as a source of carbon to cover my synthetic bone structure, which is built up from a mixture of acid (mono) phosphate and fluoride of calcium and hydrate of calcium.

In carryin out my process ofthe manufacture of t e equivalent of animal bone char (and by the term bone char as herein used I mean to designate such equivalent product) I prefer to use the commercial phosphate known as super-phosphate of lime, since this contains the proper pro portion of calcium fluoride in soluble form to produce a hardened bone-like substance similar to animal bone. On mixing the impure black-strap syrup above referred to 'with the proper quantity of acid phosphate and fluoride and hydrate of calcium, a gel is obtained which, on settling or filtration, carries all the impurities with it. After washing this gelatinous mass free of sugar with water it is dried and carbonized in char kilns from which air is excluded so as to avoid incineration and reduction to ash.

The gel intermixed with thesugar impurities (but washed clean of sugar proper) snr'rnmrc noun czar. Ann mansion on rnonocmc sum.

1923. Serial No. 638,669.

on chairing produces the following results, to witz a l. Thehydrated mono-phosphate and fluoride of calcium is rendered extremely porous by the decomposition of the gums, albumin, wax, resin, etc.

2. The wax and resins in contact with the slight alkalinity of the hydrated gel, on decomposition and destructive distillation,

yield substances which tend to harden the carbon constituent.

Incidentalto the process it may be stated that the commercial acid phosphate is ex-- tracted with water and' the soluble portion used, about forty pounds of the phosphate is added to' approximately one ton of cold, low grade raw sugar washings or blackstrap of about Brix. '=Ihe acidity is now neutralized with calcium hydrate to form" the gel intermixed with the gums, wax, etc. This gel is now removed by f ltration, washed free of all soluble sugar. by

means of warm water, and after drying is charredin kilns in the absence of air, as

and for the reasons hereinbefore stated.

The fluoride constituent acts alsoas an antiseptic and deodorizer, preventing the abnormal decomposition of the-organic matter s ve odor on charring which would otherwise result.

To summarize, a practical exemplification of the process may, in other words, be stated as follows Take ,125 pounds of powdered commercial super-phosphate of lime, and extract the soluble matter by means of cold water. To the resultant solution, which will contain approx mately forty pounds of soluble matter,is added a ton of. black-strap or washings, which renders the admixture acid. The acid phosphates and fluorides are converted into a gel by the addition of hy' drated lime in. suflicient quantity to produce a slight alkaline reaction within the whole admixture. The. gel now has entangled with it the gums, albumin, etc., while the sugar remains in solution. The gel is then filtered and, washed to eliminate the sugar, and the resultant hydrated gel is a mixture of colloidal gelatinous mass and a liquid, becoming a solid gel only during the drying process and contams the constituents which build up the bone char structure, and also the organic constituents which on kilning produce the char by carbonization.

- 'be substitute 'The char thus produced, after use for refiningsugar, may be revivified as in the case of the ordinary animal bone char by simply washing with water, dilute aci or I soda, either one or the other, or all three,

and then dr'yin and re-kilning.

.Also, the go may be first formed and i then added tothe sugar washing or blackstra the use of my'synthetic bone char is free of ash or mineral constituents, and has a'purity of 99.8 to 99.9% from washed raw sugar.

The carbon content of my synthetic char is from 8 to 10%, and may be increased or diminished at will by varying the propor- 7 9 tion .of 1 or sugar washin s; and such char has 0th color and ash mineral constituent absorbing and adsorbing qualities, an does not glaze over like animal bone 'char. Hence, my synthetic char, owing to its relatively higher degree of porosity as compared with animal bone char, resulting from its increase of absorbent ca illary surface, exposed to the liquid to be ecolorized, is more eflective in function; and the cost of production of the synthetic bone char is vfiry much less than that of animal bone c ar. V I

Another advantagf attained by my synthetic bone char is t at any dust formed inr cidentally in the use thereof need not neces sarily be discarded, as in thecas of animal bone char, but may be mixed with a new batch'of gel?, in which event it becomes entangled with the gel and permanently f fixed as related thereto on'the charring of the mass.

It is to be understood that magnesium or 40 other metal hosphate and fluoride mi ht d for calcium with like resu ts. The non-saccharine carbon natural to the an ar cane is devoid of all starchy cellulosic, hemi-cellulosic li carbon, and siliing lproduct and'cause' it to crumble.

V e lime phosphoric filter-press-mud cake obtained from defecating the cane 'uice or raw cane sugar-may be employed if t disinfected by h drofluoric acid or soluble into a mineral gel compound in order to harden it, it being finally carbonized. In this way the'product is still further cheapened, asithe mud has heretofore been thrown *away orused for fertilizing purposesifor the past century,said mud containing the nonsaccharine organic matter natural to raw sugar;

It is tofbe distinctly understood that there are two mono-calcium hosphate's, one with hydrofluoric acid and uorides such as the commercial superhosphate, and the other entirely free from uorme compounds. The

and flouride of calcium to theraw sugar.

The blue-white sugar syrup obtained by -eliminate', only a faint red heat of about 7 to secure b ceous matter which ten s to soften the res'ultfluoride, and t m converting this fluoride A suitable for the ne structure I wish to obtain, and corresponds closely to that of animal bone ash.

When adding the dry super-phosphate I 170 washing, the insoluble matter is; allowed to deposit'and is removed before forming the gel with the hydrate of lime. L .1

As there is very little volatile matter to 15 500 C. is necessary to carbonize, whichpre-f; vents over burning and fracture ofthe syn thetic minerial bone structure,-, .and.,thus economizes fuel. Before dryingT md ca bonilzing the mass is entirely in the form of a ge Another distinctive feature of 'my invention is that I do not use bagasse or megasse, 1 in my process since this material contains about per cent of woody fibre or straw and 88 would prevent the formation of a homogeneous gel. I 4 Furthermore incidental to my. preparation of synthetic bone char, my gel removes all '3 the impurities, and over 90- per cent of the 40 coloring matter from the blackstrap, and, converts the sugar remaining in solution in' L to a saleable golden syrup.

What I claim as m invention and desire 1 Letters atent is, 7 1. A car onized mass obtained from de-' composed non-saccharine, non-fibrous, nonstarchy organic matter natural to raw sugar.

2. A carbonized mass made from a el of non-saccharine,non-fibrous, non-stare y ioo organic matter natural to raw sugar andhaving a mineral phosphate base.

3. A synthetic porous mineral phosphate 1 and fluoride base having a chemical and physical composition similar to bone ash coated with the non-saccharine, non-fibrous, non-starchy organic impurities of raw sugar.

4. A synthetic porous mineral phos hate and. fluoride base having a chemica 'and physical composition similar to bone ash coated with carbonized non-saccharine, nonfibrous, non-starchy organic impurities 70f raw cane-sugar. f;

5. A synthetic decolorizing carbon ob-. tained from carbonized non-saccharine, nonfibrous, non-starchy organic-impurities of raw sugar.

6. A porous mineral phosphate and fluoride base coated with carbonized non-saccharine, non-fibrous, non-starchy organic impurities and hardened by carbonizing the synthetic bituminous constituents derived from the destructive distillation of oils, fats and resins natural to raw sugar.

7. The process herein set forth of producing a mineral phosphate and fluoride base consisting in mixing a mineral phossuper-phosphate with fluorine is the type phate gel with a gel of non-saccharine, nonfibrous, non-starchy organic impurities -of 9. A carbonized mass obtained from a deraw sugar, drying and carbomzmg out of contact with air.

8. The process herein set forth of produc- 5 ing a carbonized mineral phosphate and fluoride, consisting in mixin a mineral phosphate and fluoride gel with a gel of non-saccharine, non-fibrous, non-starch organic impurities of raw sugar, drylng an 10 carbonizing out of contact with air.

composed gel of non-saccharine, non-fibrous,

non-starchy organic'matter natural to raw sugar. g

10. A carbonized mass consisting of decomposed non-saccharine, non-fibrous, nonstarchy organic mattennatural to raw sugar, and having'a mineral phosphate base.

CHARLES B. DAVIS. 

